You have to be able to hang your hat on something.
That was IU Coach Teri Moren’s message to her team the first day she got to Bloomington. From that moment on, she’s tried to make that “something” ?defense.
She wants defense to turn into offense; when shots aren’t falling, Moren said defense should be something they can fall back on. Now, 15 games into the season, she is still trying to make the concept stick.
The IU defense was no problem for Ohio State in a 103-49 IU loss Thursday night at Assembly Hall. Moren saw the same problems that she had in a loss to Purdue earlier in the week.
“At some point this team has to understand, and I, as the leader of this group, has to keep hammering away at them that we’re going to have nights like this,” Moren said. “And that’s when you’re going to have to rely on your defense.”
Ohio State started the game on a 21-2 run. That quickly turned into a 44-14 lead for the Buckeyes and by halftime the Hoosiers trailed 49-17.
Moren’s message to her team at halftime was to start the second half like the game was 0-0.
But in games – against Purdue and Rutgers – where the Hoosiers have dug themselves a hole, they’ve struggled to come back.
Defensively, the Hoosiers couldn’t contain Ohio State duo Kelsey Mitchell and Ameryst Alston, who both entered the game averaging over 20 points per game. Alston finished with 27 points and Mitchell had 25.
They were two of five Buckeyes who scored in double figures.
Mitchell is just a freshman. Moren called her and Alston a two-headed monster.
“I think if the draft was today, they’d both be the first and second draft pick, I really do,” Moren said. “I think they’re that good.”
Offensively, the Hoosiers shot just 28 percent from the field and were 7-of-36 from the 3-point line.
Ohio State started the game in a ?2-2-1 zone press and stayed in it for most of the game. That defense, Moren said, is designed to speed you up. And that’s exactly what it did to IU, which finished with 18 turnovers.
Even when they got into a half-court offense, shots were rushed.
Freshman guard Jess Walter led the Hoosiers in scoring with 14 points, including four 3-pointers. Freshman forward Amanda Cahill was the only other IU player in double digits with 13 points.
After a Purdue game where, just like Thursday night, transition defense and poor shooting seemed to be most problematic, Moren said they can’t continue to blame losses on shots not falling.
“When our shots aren’t falling, that’s when it’s critical that we get a post touch, we get a high-percentage shot,” Moren said. “That will always be the message.”
IU’s tallest player and starting forward Jenn Anderson played just 14 minutes and finished with zero points.
Just 20 of IU’s points came in the paint, compared to Ohio State’s 50.
After the game, Moren started by giving Ohio State – a team she thinks should be ranked by the end of the week – credit for out-playing her team in every facet of the game.
Moren said it looked like her team was barely a presence, like Ohio State was playing 5-on-0.
“They make you rush, they make you take ill-advised shots, they get you out of your offense,” Moren said. “From scoring, to sharing the ball, rebounding, their transition offense, every facet they were not just good, they were great.”
